The Boy Who Cried Werewolf.

It's a 2010 movie, topical! And I know I said I didn't plan on doing a film review for a while but err, bite me? Enjoy!

The Boy Who Cried Werewolf (TBWCW for short since writing that name over and over again through the review is gonna get on my tits, fast) is a kids made for TV movie by Nickelodeon featuring werewolves. I know that sentence could even make Mr. Happy cry but trust me, despite how horrible that sounds, this movie really is nowhere near as shit as you're probably expecting it to be.

TBWCW seems, more than anything else, a vehicle for actress Victoria Justice, aside from having a name like some kind of superhero. She is some pre-teen fantasy woman or something. I guess it shows how old I am getting when I haven't ever even heard of this woman. Then again being tagged with the phrase 'pre-teen fantasy woman' isn't exactly someone I'd want to associate with anyway. But she does a good job as a werewolf here.

The suspense and atmosphere in this movie are incredible, sure it is no Insidious but considering this is a movie made for kids, in places the film is pretty damn tense. It does admittedly rely on the use of clichéd techniques like the slow build of music that drops to silence, the kind of turn the camera, nothing there, do it again BOO stuff but nonetheless, I wasn't even expecting jump scares because this is a kids movie.

It is actually pretty funny too, for a kids movie anyway. It has the kind of, cringe moments, that we've all probably had once upon a time in our own lives growing up instead of the usual 'wacky' comedy found in kids movies. It not only gives the movie some grounding, it is genuinely hilarious.

And best of all, it balances the scares and the laughs pretty well. It feels well written, well handled. Even with a few interesting twists along the way. Even if the twist, sequel bate ending is pure shit. I especially like that in this movie, werewolves are the goodguys, vampires are the badguys. Go werewolves! I've always liked you more than vampires. Vampires are just a phase!

That doesn't mean the movie is completely without the usual kid movie wackiness like say the character of Madame Varcola but even she managed to be more funny than annoying.

The story itself is perhaps the worst part of the film as it is comprised almost completely by clichés and contrivances and does very little unique or new. Family in trouble because the Mother dies, trouble at school, Mysterious Stranger, sudden good luck, everything isn't as it seems, contrived urban legend story, no way can it be true! It is... etc

However it is a rather interesting choice of devices to make the nerdy girl become the hot girl through the fact she becomes a werewolf... normally they just take off their glasses and let their hair down with no excuse...

Another problem is the films pacing. Justice becomes a werewolf some midway through the film with no real build up to the point. And then she transforms a few scenes later. And a few scenes after that, she's just accepted the fact she is a werewolf. Even other characters, like her Dad just shrugs it off within a matter of scenes. I understand the plot is more freeing her from the curse, but couldn't they have just started the movie with her as a werewolf, then? Because what they have here is messy, you just learnt vampires and werewolves are real, react!

Oh it also annoyed me that all the Romanian's in the film just spoke English with thick European accents. It just came across as cheap. I guess they couldn't have put subtitled sections in for a movie for kids, but shit like this always annoys me. Not really a huge problem with the film or anything, just a pet peeve of mine. Take it as you will.

The effects are brilliant. Justice's transformation, her powers, they all look better than the first Twilight movie. The blending of CGI and wirework is practically unnoticeable. If I was going to have any complaints, it might be that it lacks any real sense of style. New Moon for example, Twilight's sequel, made all the powers incredibly flashy indeed and I really digged that and ever since I've seen that, going back to standard plain super powers, just isn't as fun any more.

Sadly it sets up quite a few action set pieces and never carries on through with them, I realise they had budget limitations, but it is all rather disappointing and anti climactic. That being said, the final battle between Hunter and the strangely sexy Paulina and her coven is fucking awesome.

So do I recommend this? Ultimately how much you'll enjoy this film is firstly if you can look passed the fact it has a TV budget and is made for kids and then to how much you can stand the the 'High School Student turns into a monster but still has to deal with teenage problems' thing. We have gotten so many stories and films of this kind, it's practically become a subgenre in itself. And although names and places may change, they are all practically the same story and so if that one story is one you enjoy, then you'll dig this movie, if it isn't, this movie isn't for you.

Think About It!

-Locke